Providing further proof that the days of Apple Computer are far behind, the US Patent and Trademark Office published two of Cupertino's latest patent filings on Thursday: one for a head-mounted MP3 player, and a second for what might well be described as the iShoe.
The first, Wireless Headset with Integrated Media Player, is …

more iCrap

I've got a bluetooth headset

that does exactly this already. It's not only got prior-art but current art as well. And on sale in a number of shops and across the web.

As for wired ones, people have had wired handsfree on their phones since at least the late 90s (when I got my first set). Doesn't the iPhone come with the ability to use wired handsfree? If it does then it's been on the market over a year and IIRC that stops it being patented even without the extensive, well-known prior art. If it doesn't... well, it's slightly crappier than I already thought...

Apple really do need to be banned from the Patent Office. The occasional gem (I'm sure there must have been one...) is by far outweighed by the torrent of crap they try to put through.

The start of pay per use and DRM in shoes?

Apple try to patent something that already exists

Supports A2DP for bluetooth remote contol of audio playback, has a rocker on the right ear for track forward and back, tapping the right ear pad pauses (or mutes if A2DP isn't supported).

Left ear has a volume rocker and tap to answer an incoming call (device dependent music is paused) or tap once to make a voice dial or hold to re-dial last number.

Have worked great with my HTC Prophet, Kaiser and now Touch Pro 2 and with the use of a bluetooth dongle they've hooked up to my old creative mp3 players over the years. (supporting up to two devices 1 call and 1 audio - thought they can both be the same device).

But I forgot - Apple are the leaders in mobile phone and audio players - not win-mo and creative so they must've just invented it and the Jabra headset I've had for the past three years is all in my imagination...

Hell - the device even has lights - blinks blue when on (you can turn that off) constant blue whilst in sync mode, red whilst charging and green when charged.

And I thought they were ...

actually

apple haven't claimed to have invented anything, they've just taken shite techie gadgets and made them more stylish and easier to use. always have....always will.

some techies just cannot admit that they secretly lurve the white shiny things....no no, we're technical, therefore intelligent, therefore we have to have lots of buttons and take things apart to prove how great we are....to the wife.....who actually fancies your cousin with his new ipod......fuckwits

Prior art....

....I have shoes that have such a sensor in the, they brake "shoes" or pads. When a certain amount of wear is reached a light comes on my dashboard. However, this is better than the ipoo, there is a back up mechanical sensor, a little bit of metal that makes a bloody racket once that level is reached.

My patent I've sent of.

Computer keyboards have print on them, over time this may wear out. We will put a sensor in someones head that detects the print is fading and alerts them by visual means , despite the keyboard still working, that it is time to go and buy a new ikeyboard ($99 / £99) from all Apple stockets.

Please, please let Nokia win.

Lysergic acid diethylamide

@DeFex

A small capsule of acid in the heel will be triggered for release once Apple decide the shoe needs replacing, the acid will 'harmlessly' dissolve the sole of the shoe, rendering it useless and forcing you to buy a new pair. The only drawback is if you're wearing them at the time you'll need to seek immediate medical help, plus you'll need to store them in an acid-proof container when not in use so when the soles do dissolve they don't eat through your floor.

Umm, they *do* have a point actually..

Sorry to be a dissenting voice here - if you knew something about shoes you'd know that worn heels aren't as innocent a problem as it appears :-).

Hotel porters look at people's shoes because you can tell from what they wear how much attention they pay to appearance - and it's not even a new idea either, where do you think "well heeled" comes from as an expression?

That's just the cosmetic side of things.

The situation is several shades worse for ladies wearing high heels, but in general a worn heel causes the foot to angle, which is very bad news as your entire body weight rests on it, every step you make. If they start to angle, ankles are at risk (ladies with worn high heels have the additional risk of plenty of twisting leverage to make a good mess of the ankle).

I suggest that those that still wear decent shoes that can be repaired do a quick check and bring in shoes that need new heels. It will probably cost less than the proposed Apple sensor, the cobbler gets some work and your ankles will have less problems. And it looks better too.

Look, my show is worn out

"olves that vexing problem of knowing exactly how worn your shoes are without needing to...uh...look at them"

There's a lot more to wear than how worn the outside tread looks, such as compression of the materials in the sole which change the shape and therefore the support a shoe gives. Have you never been told by a personal trainer never to do any weight training in your running shoes? Guess why that is ...

@Steve Taylor 3

Seriously, a shoe Twitter feed isn't a bad idea. If current Twitter usage is anything to go by, soon we will all be following our friends': "My left foot has just hit the pavement... my right foot has just hit the pavement... my left foot..."

Re: iRan

workmanship

How about taking the money you would spend on sensors and tech for your shoe and instead spend it on quality materials and good workmanship. Oh wait, because then people wouldn't need to buy as many. Anyone remember when DMs lasted forever instead of a year?

iShoe

I can think of one legitimate use for this. My father has foot/ankle/back problems from an old injury and has been told by several non-quack doctors that there isn't much they can do about it. If his heels are getting worn, he unconsciously adjusts his gait to compensate for the small aches and pains, which lead to the back problems. A sensor could tell him "hey, time for new shoes" and save him a lot of pain (and my mom a good bit of stress).